Aerial apparatus.



H. P. TWEED.

AERIAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION Flyin ocT. l2, |908. RENE'WED sEPT.29, 1911.

l Il @Q PatentduApr. 30, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. P. TW-EED.

AERIAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ocT. I2. |908. IIEIIEWED sEPT.29, |911.

l i 6%? IA Patentd A111230, 1918.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. /Z

HOWARD P. Turnen, or'iniinvnn,

nr n,

COLORADO, ASSIGNOR T0 BENJAMIN F. SEYMOUR, 0F DENVER, COLORADO. j

AERIAL APPARATUS. v

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Apr. SO, 191e.

Application led october 12, 1908, Serial No. 457,289. Renewedeptember 29, 1917. Serial 110.194,084.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD P. TWEED, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and l'useful improvements in Aerial Apparatus; and li do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the -letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication. q

My invention relates to improvements in aerial apparatus, my object being to provide a construction equipped with a lifting propeller, or a propeller rotating on a substantially vertically disposed axis, and equipped with a series of blades shaped to cause the p' apparatus `to rise when the blades, or the wheel of which they are composed, are given a rotary motion vin the proper direction.

A My improved construction includes a suitl ing the lifting capacity of the propeller.

rllhe apparatus is also equipped with an open-ended conduit having one extremity extending upwardly and the other projecting from one side of the a paratus. A blower is located in this condult and rotated to produce a down-draft and an outward current for the purpose of causing the apparatus to travel laterally or in a direction intersecting the vertical, at a suitable angle. As the air is discharged from the outer extremity 4of the condult, the reaction due tothe resistance of the atmosphere produces the desired result. The natural down-draft due to the upward ymotion of the apparatus serves to increase the air current through the said conduit.

Having briefly outlined my'improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same t in detail, reference being made to the accomthe blowers arranged to act upon the pro# l peller, serving as auxiliary devices for imparting the rotary movement thereto.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view in detail illustrating a modied form of propeller blade.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a suitable frame-work which as shown in the drawing is composed of abottom spider 6, consisting of a hub 7 and arms 8 radiating therefrom. The outer extremities of these arms are connected with vertically disposed posts 9 which as shown in the drawing are hollow, for the reception of telescoping rods 10 whose upper extremities are bifurcated as shown at 12. rlhe arms 13 of the upper extremities of these 'rods extend on opposite sides of blowers 14 consisting of tubes 15in which are located rotary fans 16 connected in operative relation with motors 17, The tubes or casings 15 are trunnioned on the arms 13 as indicated at 18.

As shown in the drawing there are four of these blowers, one arranged at each .corner of the apparatus. The rods 10 are vertically adjustable within the tubes 9 and are mechanism of the structure. Below the eollar 22, the shalt is equipped with a collar 25 which is fast thereon. The top of the housing 24 is located between the collars 22 and 25. Above the collar 22 the shalt is equipped with a collar 26 from which extend rods 27 to transverse rods 28 applied to the outer extremities of propeller blades 29, whose inner extremities are connected with a collar 30 fast on the shaft 20. l

lnclosed within .the housing 2lA and mounted upon the trame-work ot" thestructure is an engine 3l preferably of the explosive or internal combustion type. Upon the power shaft 32 of this engine, is mounted a gear 33 meshing with a similar gear 34 fast on the shaft 20., The gear 34 in turn l meshes with a gear 35 fast onthe armature shaft 36 of an electric generator 3'? from which current is carried by means of con.- ductors 33. From these conductors 'lead branch conductors 39 to the various motors 17 for operating the blowers 14.

Mounted upon the frame-work is an openended conduit d() which as shown in the drawing has an upwardly directed portion l1 in which is located a rotary fan t2 for producing a down-draft as indicated by the arrow 43, and causing `a current to escape from the laterally directed portion llo" the conduit into the atmosphere, as indicated by the arrow 45t The portion 442 of the conduit contains an elbow i6 which is swiveled on the body of the conduit as shown at 47, rlhis body portion of the conduit is made stationary on the frame by means of suitable'supporting or fastening devices i3 and 49,

rlhe swiveled sect-ion 44: is provided with a lever arm 50 connected with the-lower portion of the elbow 46, for the purpose ot changing the position of the part 44 accor ing as it is necessary to change the direction of travel of the apparatus.

As shown in the drawing the fan blower 42 is operated by a beltl running from a pulley 52 mounted on the main shalt 20, to a relatively small pulley 53 fast on a spindle 54 of the fan. ln this manner the fan ,is actuated for the purpose of developing an air -current in the direction indicated by the arrows 43 and 45, as heretofore explained..

' As shown in the drawing, each motor 1'? is connected with the fan of a blower la by means of a belt 55 leading from a'pulley 56 on the armature shaft to the spindle 57 of the fan.

-lVhen the apparatus is in use motion is' transmitted Jfrom the engine 31 to the shafty blower.

Lasarte tation. of the propeller is in a direction to cause the' apparatus to rise acting on the atmosphere which constitutes a resisting 1nediurno Each blo-wer 14- delivers a current of air upon the propeller blades in a proper direction to facilitate their rotary action, thus increasing the lifting capacity of the mechanism. ln the form of construction 'shown in Fig. 4 each blade is bifurcated near its outer extremity to form a `\fshaped pocket 58 which receives the air from the rEllis particular construction edf blade is believed to facilitate the action olf the air thereon.

Any suitable frame work may, of course, be employed That illustrated in the drawing is skeleton in character and not intended to make provision for the carrying of passengers. My only object, in this particular instance, is to illustrate mechanism which is adapted to rise in thel atmosphere under the inuence of a propeller equipped with blades rotating around a substantially vertical axisr The frame-work is, however, provided with tie-rods 59 which connect the. posts 9,

Hariri g thus described my invention, what l claim is:

l. Aerial apparatus comprising a frame work, a propeller mounted to rotate and equipped with blades bifurcated near their outer extremities to form pockets, and means for discharging air` currents directly upon the pocket portions of' the blades whereby the rotation of the latter` is accomplished.

2. ln aerial apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame work and a propeller equipped with blades, of means for operating the propeller and independent means adjustably mounted on the frame worlr and lying between parallel planes cutting the zone o rotation oit the blades at right angles to the axis of the propeller, for mechanically discharging air currents into the pathof rotation of the propeller blades 'for creating auxiliary atmospheric resistanceL 3. Aerial apparatus comprising a suitable frame work, a propeller consisting of a vertically disposed shaft and a series of blades connected therewith, operating means connected with the shaft, and auxiliary operating means lying between parallel planes cutting the zone of rotation of the blades and arranged to act directly upon said blades, substantially as described.

ll. Aerial apparatus of the class described,l 'including a propeller equipped with blades, means for operating the propeller and auxiliary operating means located beyond the circumference of the zone of rotation of the propeller, and between parallel planes cutting said zone, the said auxiliary means being operable independently of the first pasaria named means and arranged to act directly upon the blades of the propeller al right angles to the axis of the said propeller, substantially as described.

5. Aerial apparatus comprising a suitable frame work, a propeller consisting'oi a vertically disposed shaft and a series of blades connected therewith, operating means connected with the shaft and independently operable, auxiliary operating means located beyond the circumference of the zone of-rotation of the propeller blades and between parallel planes cutting said zone, and arranged to act directly upon the blades of the propeller at right angles to the axis of-ro tation of said propeller, substantially as ydescribed.

6. Aerial apparatus comprising a suitable frame work consisting of a vertically disposed shaft journaled in the frame, propeller blades mounted uponA the shaft, an engine,a suitable connection between the engine and the shaft for transmitting motion to the latter, and blowers mounted upon the framework of the structure, located beyond the circumference of the 4zone of rotation of the propeller blades and between parallel planes cutting said zone, and arranged to act directly upon the blades of the propely1er at. right angles to the axis of the latter,

substantially as described. y

7. Aerial apparatus comprising a frame work, a propeller mounted to rotate, operating means connected with the propeller,

a plurality of auxiliary operating` means lov cated beyond the circumference of the zone ranged to act directly and continuously" of rotation of the propeller and between parallel )planes cutting said zone, and ar'- upon the blades of the propeller, substanf y tially as described.

8. Aerial apparatuscomprising a frame work, a propeller mounted to rotate, the

propeller being equipped with blades, operating means connected with the propeller, and independent auxiliary operating means arranged beyond the circumference of the lzone of rotation of the propeller blades and between parallel planes cutting said zone for mechanically discharging air currents into the zone of rotation of the propeller blades for creating auxiliary atmospheric resistance, substantially as described.

9.`v ln aerial apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame work, and a propeller equipped with blades, of means for operating the propeller, and independent means mounted on the frame work, located beyond the circumference ofthe blade zone, and be tween parallel planes cutting the zone of rotation of said blades for dischargingV air currents into the path of the propeller blades for creating vauxiliary atmospheric resistj ance for the purpose set forth.

10. In aerial apparatus, the combination with the propeller equipped with blades, of meansfor operating the propeller, and independent means mounted on the frame work located beyond the circumference of the blade zone and between parallel planes cutting the zone of rotation of said blades, and, arranged to mechanically discharge air currents into the zone of rotation of the propeller blades at right angles to the axis of the propeller, for creating auxiliary atmospheric resistance, substantially as described.

11. In aerial apparatus, the combination with the propeller equipped with blades, and independent means for discharging air currents from positions beyond the circumference of the zone of rotation of the propeller blades, and between parallel planes cutting said zone,l into the path of the propeller blades and toward the-axis Iof rotation of the 'I propeller for creating auxiliary atmospheric resistance.

12. Aerial apparatus comprising a suitable framewrk, propelling meansmounted thereon and an open-ended conduit having a vertically disposed upper member and a horizontally disposed lower member rotruding beyond the' framework and ad]ust able in a horizontal plane and means for -of rotation of said blades and arranged to mechanically discharge air currents in unconined volume into the ath oftravel of the propeller at right ang es to the axis of rotation of the propeller. for creating aux.

iliary atmospheric resistance, substantially as described. 14. In aerial apparatus, the combination with. a propeller equipped with blades., of

means for operating the ropeller, and independent means arrang exteriorly of the propellers zone of rotation and lying between parallel planes cuttingl said zone for discharging air currents in unconned volume into the path of travel of the propeller in a direction at right angles to and toward the axis of rotation of .the propeller for Vcreating auxiliary atmospherlc resistance, 'substantially as described.

15. The combination of propeller blades initially operated by any suitable power, with means independent ,of the blades themselves andA lying between parallel planes cutting the zone of rotation of said blades for delivering resistance .fluid to thezone anemie of rotation of the propeller blades for the plurality of points external to the path of l0 purpose set forth., rotation of the propeller blades.

16. The combination with propeller blades ln testimony whereof l aliix my signature initially operated by any suitable power, of in presence of two Witnesses. 5 means independent of the blades themselves and lying between parallel planes eutting HOWARD P TWEED the Zone of rotation of said blades for de- Witnesses: livering resistance Huid continually to the A. J. OBREN.

outward extremities of the latter from a A. EBERT OBRIEN. 

